OEM's weekly round up of industry news, webinars, trainings and more

I’m looking forward to gathering with many of you at this week’s Oregon Emergency Managers Association Conference. The past three years have been incredibly challenging for emergency management in Oregon. There’s a genuine need to meet with our colleagues, share and learn from each other’s experiences, and gain a new perspective on the important work we do.

This event provides our community with networking opportunities, discussions on current issues, and best practices related to all phases of emergency management. It allows us to strengthen and build knowledge and partnerships by sharing experiences and ideas that further enhance the preparedness of the whole community.

I hope you’ll also join us at OEM’s two-day mini workshop post-conference on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. We’ll be focusing on several exciting topics and updates that are key to our department, including my thoughts on modernizing emergency management; OEM’s 2023 legislative agenda; National Qualification System implementation; what to expect when a county or tribe has an emergency; inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility in emergency management; mitigation 101; and recovery planning.

I look forward to (re)connecting with you this week!

Take care of yourselves and take care of each other.
Andrew Phelps, Director, Oregon Department of Emergency Management

With back-to-back disasters resulting in likely lengthy recoveries, the American Red Cross is looking to grow its disaster volunteer workforce. The organization is hosting two virtual information events to share information on deploying to Hurricane Ian and help with signing up to be a new Red Cross volunteer. The sessions will take place from 6-7 p.m. Oct. 3 and 10-11 a.m. Oct. 4. Click here to register.

Be 2 Week Ready is a self-directed activity-based public education program designed by OEM to create a population more prepared for disasters. The program’s public launch is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2023. To prepare trainers and hosts, a train-the-trainer program has been developed and will be tested at three pilot sessions at the state ECC at the Anderson Readiness Center in Salem. Anyone interested in using the Be 2 Weeks Ready program in their community is encouraged to have one to two hosts attend one of the sessions to help ensure the program meets their community’s needs. Click on the link for the preferred session below to learn more and register.

• Session 1 for experienced trainers: 8 a.m.-noon, Nov. 8
• Session 2 for novice trainers: 8 a.m.-noon, Nov. 9
• Session 3 for facilitators and hosts: 8 a.m.-noon, Nov. 10

FEMA has released the Local Elected and Appointed Officials Guide: Roles and Resources in Emergency Management. This document and associated quick reference guide and checklists provide an executive-level introduction to emergency management concepts and principles for local senior officials and identifies local senior officials’ roles and responsibilities for emergency management before, during and after disasters. FEMA is hosting a series of 60-minute webinars to provide an overview of the guides and checklists. The sessions will include facilitated discussions with stakeholders and provide updates since the National Engagement Period. Advance registration is required and on a first-come, first-served basis. To register for an overview webinar, click on the preferred session:

Webinar #1: 11 a.m. on Oct. 6 | Webinar #2: 1 p.m. on Oct. 12

Webinar #3: 7 a.m. on Oct. 18 | Webinar #4: Noon on Oct. 20

Fire departments and other public safety agencies utilize drones to increase efficiency and help protect personnel and the public. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is hosting a webinar, New Developments for Public Safety Drones, from 11 a.m. to noon on Oct. 20. The director of DRONERESPONDERS, a non-profit program supporting Public Safety UAS, will describe the ways drones can benefit public safety and examine case studies from local agencies. Participants will then discuss how to implement a public safety drone program. Learn more and register at NVFC's website.

The Coalition of Communities of Color is collaborating with Kaiser Permanente Northwest to deliver a grant opportunity to support improving the social and emotional wellbeing of people in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), immigrant and refugee, and LGBTQ2SIA+ communities or those living at the intersection of these identities. This opportunity intends to fund projects that focus on one or more of the following areas: racism and discrimination, social isolation, and community space and support. A maximum of five organizations will each be awarded $300,000 for projects lasting 2-1/2 years beginning January 2023. Register to join an information session from 1-2:30 p.m. on Oct. 5; learn more and apply at Coalition of Communities of Color website. 

The 5th annual Oregon Cyber Resilience Summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 13 at the the University of Oregon (UO). This year’s theme is Building a Strong Cyber Workforce – Women and Diversity in Cybersecurity with a focus on achievements and opportunities for women in the field of Cybersecurity. The summit is hosted by UO in partnership with CISA, the FBI), the Titan Fusion Center and the Technology Association of Oregon, as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Learn more and register at the UO Ticket Office.

The Resilient Nation Partnership Network's 7th annual Partnership Forum, Alliances for Inclusive Resilience, will bring together more than 30 thought leaders across resilience, mitigation and equity to discuss how to leverage strategic partnerships to advance inclusive resilience for all. The virtual series will occur from 10 a.m. to noon every Wednesday in October and will explore the following topics around inclusive resilience:

• October 5: "Social Cohesion: Making Access, Inclusion and Equity Priorities in Resilience"
• October 12: "Making Resilience Priorities Complementary"
• October 19: "Inclusive Design: Building a Sense of Resilient Belonging"
• October 26: "Voices of Inclusive Resilience"

Click here to learn more and register to attend.

The FEMA Exercise Branch is hosting Understanding Cascadia’s Earthquake, a seminar led by Dr. Joan Gomberg with the U.S. Geological Survey, from 10-11 a.m. on Oct. 6. The seminar will provide attendees with a basic understanding of the science behind a major rupture of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) fault line and ensuing impacts on land and along the coast. This is a repeat of a webinar originally held on April 28 in preparation for the Cascadia Rising Rehearsal of Concept Exercise. Due to popular demand, FEMA is extending this invitation to participants who may have attended any of the NLE or Cascadia Rising 2022 exercises that began in January 2022. Learn more and register at webex.com (webinar: 2420 808 0836, password: NLECSZ2022).

The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) recently sent help to Florida to assist with the response to Hurricane Ian at the request of Florida Division of Emergency Management through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) administered by OEM. OSFM sent 13 team members from its three incident management teams to work in Florida for up to 14 days. The team, led by Incident Commanders Ted Kunze and Ian Yocum, arrived in Hardee County, Florida, which was hit hard by the hurricane. After the team was briefed by emergency managers, they went straight to work helping those impacted by the storm. Read updates on the mission at OSFM's Incident Information Blog.

Oregon Prepared, OEM's preparedness workshop, will be held the week of March 20-23, 2023, at the Sunriver Resort. Registration will open in the next couple months. Until then, contact Karen Layng with any questions at 503-378-3231 or email  karen.layng@oem.oregon.gov.

The Oregon Legislature’s Emergency Board, a joint body of House and Senate members who meet between legislative sessions to approve emergency funding, recently approved $2 million to help Wallowa residents repair their homes after a severe hailstorm ripped through the small town in August, damaging the west-facing side of nearly every home and car in the town. An additional $2 million was granted to the city of Echo to stabilize the banks of the Umatilla River following flooding in June. A 2020 flood had already changed the path of the Umatilla that ran through the town of 700, and when high water returned in 2022, the area around the banks once again became inundated. The Emergency Board funding will go toward stabilizing the banks at three points along the river. 

The Great Oregon ShakeOut is part of a global drill that encourages people to prepare for and practice what to do to stay safe during an earthquake. More than 440,000 Oregonians have registered to date to take part in this year’s self-led Great ShakeOut drill, pledging to Drop, Cover and Hold On for one minute at 10:20 a.m. PDT on Oct. 20. Drop, Cover and Hold On is the national standard for earthquake safety and evidence suggests it offers the best overall level of earthquake protection in most situations, offering protection from falling and flying debris and other nonstructural hazards. When shaking begins or an earthquake alert is received on a cell phone:

• Drop immediately onto hands and knees. This position protects people from being knocked down and also allows them to stay low and crawl to a nearby shelter.
• Cover the head and neck with one arm and hand. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter. If there is no nearby shelter, crawl next to an interior wall away from windows. Remain on the knees and bend over to protect vital organs.
• Hold On until shaking stops. If under shelter, hold onto it with one hand and be ready to move with the shelter if it shifts. If there is no shelter, hold onto the head and neck with both arms and hands.

Those with mobility disabilities or access and functional needs are encouraged to watch this video about adapting Drop, Cover and Hold On! for their unique needs. Share information with communities about the Great Oregon ShakeOut, including how to register to participate, at Shakeout.org/Oregon.

The South Tillamook County Emergency Volunteer Corps and the Nestucca Rural Fire District hosted the South County Emergency Preparedness Fair – the first since 2019 – at Nestucca Fire Station 87 in Hebo on Sept. 24. The fun and educational event was open to the public and featured demonstrations and presentations, a Kids’ Corner teaching how to pack go-bags, fire extinguisher training, pet preparedness information, propane safety and more.

Representatives on hand included Tillamook County Emergency Manager Randy Thorpe; Sarah Absher from the Tillamook County Community Development Department, who also serves as Tillamook County’s Certified Floodplain Manager; and Commissioner David Yamamoto, Chair of the Tillamook County Board of Commissioners. Participating local organizations and community groups included Tillamook County Emergency Management, Nestucca Rural Fire District, Community Emergency Response Team, Medical Reserve Corps, Tillamook Public Utility District, Tillamook County Health Center, Tillamook County Community Development Team, Visit Tillamook Coast, CHS Northwest, Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal and the American Red Cross.